Published: Jan 07, 2026, 06:48 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 07, 2026, 06:48 PM (IST)
Indian sports presenter Ridhima Pathak took to Instagram on Wednesday to clear the air about her involvement in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL 2026). She stated that she was not dropped by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) but had personally decided to opt out, emphasizing that her nation always comes first.
The clarification comes after reports suggested a dip in sporting ties between India and Bangladesh, claiming that Pathak had been officially removed from the BPL hosting panel. The current edition of the tournament has already started in Sylhet.
Speaking to Zee News, Pathak said, “Remember, I never set foot on the soil of Bangladesh! I never went for the league. I had opted out while I was doing ILT20. They had asked me to come because they had no other local talent. I was planning to join them after ILT20, but with everything that happened, I decided to say no.â€
Ridhima Pathak, a familiar face on cricket shows for Star Sports and Sony Sports in India, was initially scheduled to co-host the BPL 2025-26 alongside Pakistan’s Zainab Abbas. However, after Pathak chose to opt out, the tournament revamped its presentation and commentary teams. Now, Zainab Abbas has arrived in Bangladesh with veteran commentators Waqar Younis, Ramiz Raja, and Darren Gough, while Ridhima will no longer join the panel.
Tensions between India and Bangladesh escalated recently when the BCCI asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their team. In response, the Bangladesh government banned live broadcasts of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the country and requested that its T20 World Cup matches be moved to Sri Lanka. The IPL is set to begin on March 26, 2026.
Following this, the BCB held an emergency meeting, urging the ICC to move Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches out of India due to security concerns. They also reiterated the IPL broadcast ban. However, the ICC reportedly told Bangladesh that their matches must be played in India, or they risk forfeiting the games.
